Spam on the decline

Spam levels globally have dropped as much as 75% as a California-based web host used for most of the world’s spam has been shut down.

Spam levels globally have dropped as much as 75% as a California-based web host used for most of the world’s spam has been shut down.

Web host McColo has been reported by the Washington Post as having customers including, “international firms and syndicates that are involved in everything from the remote management of millions of compromised computers to the sale of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and designer goods, fake security products and child pornography via email”.

Philip Routley of MessageLabs Australia says the drop in spam messages has been immediate.

During the 12 hours following McColo’s closure, Routley told The Age spam volumes dropped “massively to levels eight times less than typical volumes, demonstrating just how much spam was sourced through this single ISP”.